Sts Nereus, Achilleus and Pancras

Nereus and Achilleus were Roman soldiers under the rule of Emperor Trajan, during a time when Christians were hated in Rome. They became Christian and left the Roman Army forever, this made the Emperor very angry. They were sent away from Rome to the island of Terracina where they were killed because of their faith in Jesus. They were martyrs because they gave up their life for their belief in God. Pancras came to live in Rome with his Uncle after both his parents died, leaving him orphaned. His Uncle told him about God and he came to believe in Jesus and was baptized. Even though Pancras was just a boy, he was also arrested because of his faith in Jesus and he also died a martyr’s death. He faced his death so bravely that many people came to believe in God because of him. A church in England, built by St. Augustine, was named after St. Pancras to honour this brave young martyr.